PYC2614 - Community psychology: Building foundations (PYC2614)
Institution
University Of South Africa (Unisa)
This includes
2018 May/June and October/November exam
2019 May/June exam
Most have page references some don't.
All my answers were compared with other peoples answers, discussions in groups and feedback from tuts.
Always double check your work but this exam pack should help you a lot
thanks
The aim of the module "Community Psychology Building Foundations" (PYC 2614) is to
(1) tram students as fully fledged professionals that can perform and implement community
interventions
( 2) build the foundations of communities
(3) solve community problems in the areas of mental illness and crime, once and for all
I (4) provide ways and means of understanding current contextual issues in our communities "
(5) None of the above are correct pgV: The purpose of this module is to introduce you to the histories that shaped the emergenceof community psychology
globally and in South Africa. You will be introduced to thedifferent principles and intervention models applied in community
psychology, andhow these are informed by various theories and schools of community psychology. Themodule adopts a
relational, observational and narrative approach through which you willhave an understanding of current contextual issues in
Question 2 your community and how thesecan beattended to through community psychology interventions.
This epistemology emanates from the Western way of viewing reality and assumes
that psychology is an objective and universal science. In other words, it is seen as the
is NOT based on the belief that pg3
only scientifc and fact -based way of understanding an individual. It does not consider
Mainstream modern psychology
" ^ * Knowledge is gained through participation and connecting,
contextual particularities such as sex, race , culture, and the values and meanings of
.
others in understanding an individual (Mkhize , 2013) Western culture also believes that
knowledge should be produced through methods of science, in that objective truth
not so much through separation and abstraction. .
can be discovered if methods of research are refned Western scientifc methods claim
that objective knowledge can be created without considering the role of the observer
or researcher in the process of research. Due to this approach , mainstream psychology
-
claims to function as a value free science without any political undertones . These values
knowledge should be produced through methods of science
gave rise to the idea that the psychologist is the expert. Moreover, the expert can claim
(1) to be an individual of a high order due to the knowledge that has been gained through
.
scientifc research. This claim is used to empower individuals ( Prilleltensky & Fox, 1997 ) In a
particular situation, the so-called ‘
expert " can claim to pose more knowledge regarding a
( 2) objective truth can be discovered if methods of research are refined group of individuals in a community. This power dynamic can have immense consequences
when the expert approaches the community in need, as they would govern or have an
influence on how the community lives.
( 3) objective knowledge can be created without considering the role of the observer or
researcher in the process of research
I ( 41 people are the (best) experts on their own lives and on their local communities
( 5) assumes that psychology is an objective and universal science
Question 3
pg4: Knowledge is gained through participation and connecting,
The traditional African psychological worldview does NOT not so much through separation and abstraction.
(1) have a holistic view of life as a cosmic unity
( 2) view parental responsibilities as also residing with the extended family and community
( 3) make no or little distinction between nature and culture
1 41
( gain knowledge primarily through separation and abstraction!
l
( 5) view causality to be linked to the interaction of life forces
Question 4
The critical African perspective on psychology
(1) isbased on the Western and individualistic approach to psychology
( 2) assumes a value-free orientation to knowledge that is located in the middle to uppersocio -
economic classes
( 3) includes the lived experiences and reflections of marginalised people
-pi] caters only tor tne values of middle and uppei classes
(5) sees psychological illness as having an underlying biological cause
pg5: its focus is on the “ lived experiences” of people. This
includes the lived experiences and reflections of marginalised people. Its focus drives
it to addressing problems such as illiteracy , disintegration of extended family systems,
poverty, alienation and other social issues.
[TURN OVER]
, 3 PYC 2614
pg6: In his chapter, Yen (2013) discusses the history of community psychology in South Africa.
He also covers some of the complexities associated with the concept of "community”. May /June 2018
Implicit in Yen’s discussion is that the concept “ community" may change over time and
that it is multifaceted
Question 5
Yen’s (2013) discussion of the history of community psychology in South Africa points to the
position of liberatory community psychology wherein
( 1) psychological services and psychotherapy are only meant for the elite and middle class who
can afford it
(2) "community ” refers only to poor, disadvantaged, black townships or rural areas
(3) community psychology is only for the disadvantaged who cannot afford or access individual
therapy
(4) psychological health, illness and disorder are predominantly located within
individuals and not linked to societal , political, historic, and environmental influences
(5) None of the above are correct
pg7 Nelson and Prillelteneky (2010) refer to community psychology as the study of people in
context. While this is a useful description to some extent, it is possible that while one may
Question 6 study people in context, this can also be done uncritically . Thus, we fnd it necessary to
include the term “ critical” to Nelson and Prillelteneky’s description. “ Critical” in this case is
understood as a continuous process that includes self-reflection.
The definition of community psychology does NOT include the following
(1) There is no single definition of community psychology, and it is a heterogeneous concept
( 2) Nelson and Prilleltensky (2010) refer to community psychology as the critical study of people
in context
( 3) Community psychology is a neutral knowledge domain that is a sub-discipline of
Psychology
( 4) Community psychology places an emphasis on the importance of the local rather than the
universal
( 5) Community psychology is directed towards the common aim of improving community
conditions and promoting psychological wellbeing
Question 7
The recent calls for a decolomsed education by the ‘' fallist" movements such as “ #RhodesmustfaiI”
and “ #Feesmustfall” in South Africa can NOT be linked to
(1) A critical process of self-reflection within student collectives and academia
| (2) A politics of knowledge production that show that science and knowledge is non-political
(3) A process ot critically thinking and theorising about the situatedness of knowledge systems
and entry into dialogues with different approaches or theories from elsewhere
( 4) A re-ignition of importance of an education that is relevant to the many and varied local
contexts in Southern Africa
( 5) The problematic of importing conceptual categories and theories from the West
Question 8
Stevens (2013) speaks of “ community psychologies” (heterogeneous) as opposed to a singular
“ community psychology" This points to
(1) the relevant social contexts under which community psychologies operate
(2) the intrapsychic and individualistic bio-medical model in psychology
(3) modern Western values, ideals, principles and practices ,
|(4) the liberal and humanitarian scientific ideologies and approaches to mental illness
(5) the lived experiences of the people in the West
pg11: Stevens (2013) speaks of “ community psychologies” (heterogeneous ) as opposed to
a singular “ community psychology” that is capable of accounting and theorising for [TURN OVER]
all contexts and experiences. Therefore, it is more appropriate to think of community
psychology as having multiple histories.
From the above discussions, it is evident that in various contexts, community psychology
as a sub-discipline emanated as a response to practices that were inadequate, irrelevant not taking into account the
various contexts in which communities lived. The subdiscipline also developed as a response to policies, which had negative impacts to the living
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